


Ripped Pages

by okkaykate



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Denial, Deus Ex Machina, Dreams, Light Angst, M/M, Manipulation, Multi, unexpected ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 00:21:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19878505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okkaykate/pseuds/okkaykate
Summary: Taeil is alone except for when he’s with those which he imagines. Then when they become real, he can’t help but realize he was never truly alone.





	Ripped Pages

**Author's Note:**

> 24\. Character C is an author, trying to get their protagonists A & B together as the main couple in their story, but for some reason, A & B can't seem to cooperate. Suddenly, one day, C wakes up in their own story, and so they try to get A & B together (finishing the story means they can leave). Instead, A & B try to woo C and fight each other for C's affections. What happens next is up to you.
> 
> This story will be very confusing if you don’t focus on Taeil’s motives throughout the text. It is very repetitive in that sense. I hope you all can follow along. This fic is sorta slapped together everywhere. I recommend taking your time and reading this very slowly. There was a lot of ways I pondered to portray this prompt and although I’m sure this is very different from what the prompter must have expected, I hope this can be enjoyed. Please note all of the tags carefully as this fic might not seem as simple and joyful from first glance. Last of all, enjoy! Feedback is always appreciated.
> 
> TW//  
> *There is one violent mention of blood and murder, although it is small I would avoid reading this if the mere mention makes you uncomfortable.

Taeil never exactly found pounding on his keyboard and pushing up his glasses every other sentence as peaceful, but the chaotic movements of his fingertips and the engine of his mind running against his skull had a sweet kind of antagonizing love with him. His eyes could be burning from the electronic screen or his brain in turmoil at how to convey and foreshadow a character’s personality with one word, but his heart still lit up as his story formed and he could be satisfied for just a few moments.

His love of words and stories could be connected to the simple fairytales and fables his mother told him as a child and his hobby of reading that fell after that. It was only when he realized no one was interested in conversing with him about his ideas that grew him into writing. He would write about the beautiful views or entities he’d encountered or imagined. Then he wrote about the world on its own life. Then he began it.

The story itself was unnamed for most of the draft and quite typical. It could have been his own fantasy of life with love contrasting how in his reality he rarely left his own apartment. He only really went out for coffee or to work at the library nearby his apartment. The job wasn’t the best, but it was an excuse to sneak in reading books and sometimes writing while no one else was working. It wasn’t a particularly popular place. One time, during work he wrote of his black haired character entering the establishment, and it was a solid 3,000 words of just sensual writing and tense thought for the character. Taeil immediately deleted the whole draft of passage when he realized what he had done. 

Taeil’s relationships outside of himself and his daily call to his mother were nonexistent. He only had one solid friend ever from middle school named Taeyong, who was kind and shared similar creative interests as him but was ultimately swept up by more popular kids for his pretty face. Taeil never saw him again. 

A solitary environment wasn’t a terror to Taeil. He could always speak to others through his imagination and written words. He feared if he involved the outside world too much his characters would be too much alike his life. Then if someone ever criticised his choices in the story his reasons would be too simple with plain answers such as ‘I would do it too’ or ‘Well, it happened to me’; however, his life seemed to mildly mirror them anyway. 

His worst struggle seemed to be connecting his character’s lives to experiences Taeil did not know or experience himself yet. This naturally would have ignited Taeil to jump into new hobbies, but instead he stayed inside his room and only heavily researched all aspects that characterized his creations, Doyoung and Yuta. Even with Taeil’s disinterest in cooking and soccer, he would sit for hours watching various cooking shows and soccer games to understand just a bit. Doyoung and Yuta seemed to run without him sometimes. Taeil found them experiencing activities and feeling emotions that Taeil never had in all his life. It was ominous to write such scenes, but Taeil found them genuine. He just hoped they would make sense to those who would read.

He thought about the dystopian society outlook for the plot, but it seemed too cliche. In a natural way, they would be forced to work together. They would be alone without each other if he kept that plot. Taeil loved fantasies, but what kind of fantasy would take place in a coffee shop. Although roommates were also cliche, Taeil was lured to a typical and common scenery. Maybe one he could project himself into.

He tried to avoid following other author’s work he had read, but his story was typical anyway, there was nothing else to it. He could not even imagine anyone reading his story. It was very close to him though there was no large overarching connection he held to the men. Taeil had never been in any kind of friendly or romantic adult relationship. He never lived with someone else. He was always alone. Undoubtedly, Doyoung and Yuta were both from some part of him, however big or small— Doyoung had a grand connection with his mother while Yuta couldn’t cook even the simplest of meals for himself. All people were to be alike other people anyway and some aspects had to overlap or the characters would not be seen as people. To characterize the aspects of the characters most dissimilar to Taeil, he could only focus on his very very distant acquaintances, or those who he idolized when he was young. It was natural, as the characters were aimed to be.

At the time, his two characters, Doyoung and Yuta, were normal people. They had been connected to each other’s lives for only a few months. They were to hurdle over their struggles and meet in the middle. Together they would walk into the sunset with mutual joy and love. He’d gotten the inspiration when his eye was caught by the most beautiful sunset he’d ever seen. The sun had colored the white curtains in an light orange hue. A window seat in front of it, void of any pillows, the color of the cushions almost a sea foam green. Taeil was only sitting at a table alone at a cafe, drinking dark coffee at nearly sunset on a Tuesday after a long, boring day. Then he could only feel outright pain and sorrow, and then is lessened the more the sun dropped. Then he imagined it. 

The man was almost to the point of crying. The black haired beauty, to be named Doyoung, just curled himself in and almost ripped the curtains with the claws of his hand. Weeping noises escaped him. The kitchen behind him drowned in the sunlight too. Everything was quiet except for him, except for his wallowing. Then he appeared, the blonde beauty, the sun’s remnants shined on him with a golden shadow. He merely looked until he approached. The pain lingered in his eyes too. Yuta had been out of breath when he approached Doyoung. He called his name in merely a whisper. 

Doyoung only curled deeper into himself. Yuta removed Doyoung’s right hand from the curtain, holding it within both of his own hands. “Doyoung,” He repeated. Yuta took Doyoung’s other hands too, raising them towards himself. Doyoung still only looked out, tears streaming then. Yuta brought the hands to his mouth and let them just linger near, almost kissing Doyoung’s knuckles with the closeness. He breathed for a moment and then began to cry too, silently in almost understanding.

The black-haired man turned to Yuta. Doyoung tried to voice something with the most despairing eyes, but he lost any strength that remained in him. Yuta weakly pressed on Doyoung’s hands and looked at him, finding it in himself to give a frail smile. They didn’t know. They only felt. Doyoung laughed at the smile, choked on his tears. They grew closer and closer as the sun faded. “What are we doing?” Yuta questioned as their tears finally began to settle after the sun had gone out.

Doyoung shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know.”

Yuta hugged him for a long time. Their hair mixed into the background last fading light as the street lights then illuminated them. “What should we do?” Doyoung asked.

Yuta pulled them apart just a bit, lingering at his ear. “We’ll figure it out. We will.” He kissed the bottom of Doyoung’s ear lightly and then it all faded. Taeil was left with an empty cafe, a cold cup of coffee, and a dark nights walk home to ponder on the realities of this Doyoung and Yuta. He’d spent months, maybe even a year just to think of them before he found it in himself to write of their story and what would lead to that moment and what would happen after.

He had told himself it was a futile dream, to be an author and grow big off of a typical homosexual story with no solid foundation, but his passion led him to feel a duty to them. He didn’t really care too much about becoming renowned or anything of the sort, he just wanted to express everything. To whoever they were and whoever they were to be. He had to bring justice to the people in his mind.

He had been stuck. He knew the moment would come. When he found himself lost. It was inevitable honestly. The whole thing was an unplanned passion. 

Taeil decided the fact that he had written from around 10 AM to dusk meant that it was time to tap out even though he was unsure if he would be able to sleep with the burden of Doyoung and Yuta’s troubles. He rested his glasses on the nightstand beside his bed.

The two would build the slightest bit and then fall again. There was no solid development Taeil could find that would muster the relationship. They still had no romantic feelings at all yet, and being nearly a hundred pages in Taeil couldn’t hide his nervousness. He didn’t want to force it of course, but there was a goal, and he needed to do it. Taeil felt as if Doyoung and Yuta had experienced everything, there was no more he could throw at them that would be sensible. They were merely opposites from the same moon. They just never agreed. Most of the arguments were petty, but they both were too stubborn to resolve the conflict one way or another. They’d move on a little and then another incident would happen, leading every other argument to roll out. Taeil couldn’t find the right situations for them to get into their senses. There was no scene for an apology, and it would probably be overlooked by the other. And how can one apology conquer mere months of fighting.

Taeil wondered when they would just at least have a common interest or goal. There was no way Taeil consciously made them entirely different. The man let the darkness lull him to sleep after more hours of thinking of the pair which gave him such a hard time.

He awoke to nothing. There was no noise. The busy streets were silent and no birds chirped, nor did any sun bother him. He opened his eyes and found himself groaning at the scratchy pillow behind his head. He threw the pillow on the floor, ignoring how unfamiliar it was to him, he used his vision as an excuse for his unknowingness.

He grabbed for his glasses and sighed when he seemingly missed the nightstand. He had to reach across his spot on the bed, but finally grabbed his glasses. Then he realized this wasn’t his home. The surprising part was he knew exactly where he was. The guest room in his grandmother’s house. He wondered what had happened to him. He wasn’t injured, he wasn’t drunk or anything of the sort. Then he realized the assortment of his belongings around the room, almost mimicking the placement of where they usually were in his own room. His laptop still sat on the dresser, his variety of books were placed in a large pile on the floor to the right of his bed, and it was all too uncommon. He was also a few stories up on a building. His grandmother lived in her own house which was on story.

The author stood up and grabbed the door handle to figure out what had occurred. To his dismay, it all rushed to him in a moment. This wasn’t his grandmother’s house, this wasn’t his house, this was Doyoung and Yuta’s apartment. How he got there and why he got there was all he could wonder.

As he sat in their guest room, which he had written to mimicked his own grandmother’s house, he wondered where in the character’s lives he was. He must have been in the present of their lives due to the setting and where Taeil recalled leaving the story at, but how would the rest of the scene play out if it was not written yet? 

Taeil decided this was a dream. His subconscious was probably feeding him the ideas that would not come out to him in his daily frenzy of creation. It was helping him. He had no other answer for it truly. He had fallen asleep before awakening there and he must have just been too sucked up in thoughts that his brain decided to help lead the story. Maybe this dream would trick him and end right when the next scene change would occur, stealing his creative hopes. Maybe he would become the third person perspective, maybe he already was, but the fact that he was included into the story was peculiar. He decided he would just omit any mention of himself from the conversation when he went back to reality in his writing and only rewrite any helpful situations or inspirations from this experience. 

He calmed himself and was only idle on his own. He changed out of his night clothes and into his casual clothing. There was no reason for Doyoung or Yuta to enter the guest room. The room was only a guest room, there was only decorations and empty dressers, or that’s what Taeil had written it as and it had been before all of him was placed into the room. There should have been dust on the bed as he had imagined when he wrote of it, but the room was rather dust-free. Taeil guessed since his arrival and no one stepping in the guest room since Yuta and Doyoung rented the place, Taeil’s appearance had wooshed all the dust out with a single movement, or maybe he had been in the story for longer in this portrayal than just now. Maybe he was another roommate.

Doyoung and Yuta could of gotten another roommate originally in the real story, of course they could have, but Taeil wanted them to grow closer alone naturally with no immediate interruption or fear. He didn’t want someone else restricting their connection. It seemed they made their own struggles. He had written the details with care.

Taeil’s place in the story was something he worried about. If he split the men further apart, how would he find it in himself to put them together in reality? If he made them closer, would he be forced to input a random stranger into their lives out of the blue for it? What would his name be in the written version, Tae?

He conceded to being a spectator if he would even get that far. He couldn’t control his own dreams, could he? Was he lucid? Luckily, he was never much of a talker, he could merely listen if he was approached before he woke up from the dream. To some degree, he would feel like a creep being noisy into their conversations, but for the sake of his passion and invisible career, he had to try it. 

“Taeil?” Speak of the devil. A flurry of a black haired man popped through the door. Doyoung. Other than the appearance, Taeil could tell just by his manner. Doyoung opened the door slowly when Yuta would’ve thrown it open without a care. This was too much. He’d never heard the voice before except in his imagery. He never imagined hearing him say his name. It was bizarre to say the least. A voice that didn’t exist, or a voice he never had a real physical face he could feel to it. Taeil didn’t reach out to feel Doyoung’s skin, but it was effortlessly pale and smooth as far as he could tell. He could feel it far away in his senses. Although Doyoung and Yuta hadn’t ever really done any physical contact yet in the story, Taeil knew what they each felt like, smelled like, and sounded like.

Taeil’s voice had left him, but somehow he had lurched out a raspy whisper. “Yes?”

“Breakfast.” Doyoung’s voice was soft and gentle, a tone which Taeil could never find the right scene to put in. Maybe Taeil would pretend he was Yuta when he got back, but the gaps in the storyline and development would be too great.

Taeil blinked out of his thoughts and nodded. “Yes, breakfast.” He hopped towards the door and followed Doyoung to the kitchen, on the way there Doyoung pounded onto Yuta’s door as they passed by. There was a scream in response.

Doyoung rolled his eyes. “I made special pancakes today there are all sorts of fruit in them.” Taeil relished in his surroundings, it was perfect. There was his window. The window. The one where the sun shined. The one he thought would go in place of what he imagined at the coffee shop all that time ago. Doyoung’s expression dropped slightly with his distraction. “I made some regular too though if you’re not interested.”

Taeil finally looked down towards the food, catching up. “Oh, yes, I’ll have a little bit of both, thank you.”

Doyoung smiled in return, piling up Taeil’s plate.

Yuta groggily entered the kitchen and sat down at the counter, grabbing a plate, putting some pancakes on it. “Good morning,” He murmured softly, his shoulder touching Taeil’s as he slouched forward. Taeil had half the mind to correct his posture, but he had made him that way, and Doyoung was supposed to be the one to bug him for it. 

Doyoung looked at Yuta for a few moments with an expression of disappointment and scoffed. “No ‘thank you’?

Yuta’s sleepy eyes sharpened as he looked up at Doyoung. “Oh, thanks Doyoung.” He stated in a spiteful voice. Taeil didn’t understand why Yuta was always like this.

Doyoung groaned. Taeil glanced at Yuta in his own disbelief. Yuta noticed and turned to him. Then, like a puppy or a child, Yuta turned back to Doyoung and quickly thanked him in a more genuine voice. Doyoung glanced at Taeil before accepting the gratitude.

Did Taeil have some sort of author power? Was he urging the characters to be kind? Maybe this was it. Taeil outright grinned to himself and finished his food in an instant, having gained much more energy at the prospect of reconcile between the two. He decided he should write down the moment somehow and see if it would transfer to the real world or he would be able to remember everything that happened by memory, but dreams were also somewhat unreliable. 

Both men had glanced at Taeil softly and somewhat surprised at the grin that so brightly adorned the oldest author’s face. “Taeil,” Doyoung called from behind Taeil at the sink. Taeil still wasn’t used to hearing a voice he created say his name, but it was all his imagination anyway. Taeil simply hummed, cleaning his plate.

“How’s the library reconstruction going?” Doyoung inquired. Taeil processed, so this was in alignment with his real life. He understood.

“It’s going alright. I don’t know much about it to be honest. I’m gonna miss the historical smell and style though.” He answered honestly, putting the plate and fork on the drying rack.

“Taeil,” Called once more, by Yuta this time. Taeil fully turned to the men. “Do you wanna go to the art museum with me today?” Doyoung gave Yuta a knowing look of fury. Yuta only grinned at Taeil.

“Today? Well, Doyoung has work, can’t we go on the weekend?” Taeil pitched.

“We could go without him.”

Taeil blinked. “That’s not very nice. Why wouldn’t we want him to go with us?” Then again, maybe Taeil could sway Yuta to express feelings to Doyoung that he hadn’t noticed before… Taeil, as an author, should be able to plant the seeds easily. They were his characters anyway.

“I only have two free passes for today—”

This could be his time to turn the tide. “I’ll go with you.” Taeil abruptly stated. Yuta burst into a wider smile.

“Great!” Taeil heard Doyoung scoff and clean up the remaining food with a stiff expression.

Taeil bid Doyoung goodbye as the younger headed off to work. Right after Doyoung shut the door, Taeil questioned Yuta. “What time do you wanna go?”

“It opens in an hour, so we could either walk there and leave in around half an hour, or we can get an Uber.” Yuta responded, twirling his phone in his hands from his spot on the couch.

“You like walking. Let’s walk.” Taeil suggested. Yuta’s eyes shimmered for a moment as a smile bloomed on his face at Taeil’s small observation.

Yuta proceeded to hum contently. “Yes, I do.” Taeil found Yuta’s eyes and it took his brain a moment to register the contenance looking back at him. It was somewhat peculiar to Taeil, unfamiliar, yet from all his online writing classes and the occasional love sick fools he has seen on the street he knew what it seemed like.

He couldn’t find the reason, but all he could think of was how Yuta needed to look at Doyoung like this. This was a piece he hadn’t seen for Yuta yet. Joy and unconditional adoration. Yuta had only been focused on his own spite and flashy complaints and cockiness. Not sensitivity. This, even if it was subtle, was something.

Taeil’s wrists felt an urge to move. He grabbed onto the kitchen counter to balance himself and calm them for a moment. They wanted to write. They needed to document.

It seemed his secluded life had addicted him to the sound of keyboard clicks and paper being deformed with chicken scratch handwriting. He resisted his eagerness, but his heart pulled him. He returned to his room, his grandmother’s guest bedroom, and grabbed at his laptop until he saw his writing notebook beside it. He decided to write a small blurb in the notebook as he didn’t know what writing in his official document on the laptop would do. Maybe he could change everything with one sentence, but Taeil never inserted himself in the text? Why was he here? Maybe this dream would end if he wrote in the official draft. Did he want it to? It could be helpful, but it could also taint his confidence and any hope of continuing the story. Taeil didn’t want to give up on Doyoung and Yuta.

*

Taeil and Yuta stepped out of their apartment complex as the fall winds brushed on them harshly. The author gulped as his surroundings were the same as they were in his own real world. He hadn’t written anything of Yuta and Doyoung going outside of the house in too much architectural detail although he had written down subtle scenes about their work life, Doyoung’s grocery shopping, and Yuta’s weekly Thursday soccer games with his friends.

In Taeil’s own world there was no art museum a thirty minute walk away though. In this world however, it sat on the corner of a street where Taeil recalled a wealthy elderly couple lived in his world. He wondered what kind of art this imagination would come up with to put onto the walls.

On the walk there Taeil took up all his energy trying to keep up with Yuta’s quick pace while wondering the intricacies to the world. Yuta only commented on the nature occasionally and how walking had always relaxed him, as if Taeil didn’t already know that. 

Taeil knew everything even if he hadn’t written the extent of it out yet. Everything laid out scattered in his notebook or wrapped up in his mind. He wondered if that applied too. He questioned if he could note a random quality of Yuta and he would change and morph into that perception in an instant. Maybe Yuta and Doyoung needed one of them to be optimistic between the pessimistic duo. That dynamic would become more friendly way easier, but he had committed to these characters. He had already written and spent hours thinking of their existence, and he was reluctant to change them completely. Though they were not real, they didn’t deserve to be destroyed and remade.

Taeil wrapped his flannel closer to his torso as a rough wind hit them just as they entered the museum. It was a slow realization that he wouldn’t be able to afford a ticket for himself, but maybe he could magically make money appear from the sky in this world. 

Yuta silenced his thoughts as he handed Taeil his ticket. Taeil gave him a confused look. Yuta just grinned. “I told you. I had free tickets for today.”

Although Taeil had forgotten about it in his mind palace, he recalled the fact that Yuta loved art, that he loved visual sensuality. Taeil hadn’t been able to randomly place the fact in his text yet, but maybe it could have a significance in connecting Doyoung and Yuta. 

Yuta’s face returned stoic as Taeil stayed with a complicated expression. “Taeil?”

Concern laced Yuta’s face. Taeil looked up at him and registered the emotion. Taeil usually was never the best people person. He rarely went out or interacted with people, but he thought he knew what to say and what not to. “Why aren’t you like this with Doyoung?” He blurted out with the soft statement falling from his lips without a second thought. He regretted it. He worried that he would have to confess to Yuta that he wasn’t real. He was analyzing too much. These were his characters. He knew every quality, but here they were people, and he supposed he was too, maybe just some kind of glorified version of himself. Maybe this is all a dream of who he wished he was, and of who he wished he was surrounded by. Yuta was just an exaggerated part of Taeil, and Doyoung was the same. Although in retrospect the idea that different aspects of him were supposed to fall in love was a little disturbing, but in the personality and physical sense they were entirely different, just with similar cores. 

Taeil knew Yuta wasn’t real, but he would never want to crush someone so real. Yuta was in some way his invention. He was only whatever Taeil wanted him to be. Sure, Yuta was dynamic and almost human like, but Taeil _made_ him. He wrote and pictured every feature, every breath, every particle of his being, and he was just as real as Taeil was.

Yuta frowned for a split second, accompanying the expression with a furrowed brow and confused eyes. “Taeil, what do you mean? Doyoung is…” There was a hesitant pause as Yuta looked off to the side. “My friend.” Taeil already knew it would be a small white lie even before Yuta said it, from both the tone, expression, and the knowledge that Yuta and Doyoung’s relationship was most definitely not even close to friendly. Yuta was never a real liar though, so at least Yuta could somehow find Doyoung as a friend even if it was a reach for him.

“You wouldn’t let him come.” Taeil began, pushing.

Yuta’s face tensed up. “He had to work, and I only have these two free pass tickets.”

Taeil licked his lips, trying to catch up on how this museum and these tickets even existed. “You’ve been here before.” Taeil tested out. Although he was uncertain, it made sense. Yuta didn’t have to look up directions to get here and how would he get free passes unless he was looking for them or maybe there was some type of deal if you came enough times. Anyway, Taeil tried to sound a little questioning as a roommate doesn’t always follow their other roommate’s moves. Yuta waited for Taeil to continue, so he did. “How come you’ve never taken Doyoung before?”

Yuta took a sharp breath in, suddenly looking around everywhere near the ground. Taeil could feel Yuta thinking, and somehow he knew his thought process. Yuta thought about lying, but he wouldn’t. Because Yuta didn’t directly lie. Ever. “I only wanted to come with you.”

Before even giving Yuta a second to breathe, Taeil pushed again. “Why?”

“Taeil,” Yuta began, trying to calm Taeil’s almost angry pursuit. Taeil didn’t have time to be kind to these characters even if they came from his own heart and experience. He couldn’t comfort Yuta, there was supposed to be someone else to do that. He needed answers. He needed Yuta to realize who he was supposed to be. But Yuta never lied, and he wouldn’t lie about what he was feeling. “I like you.”

Taeil blinked and leaned his head forward to look at Yuta more closely with a puzzled expression. The character looked at Taeil for a moment, entranced in him, before he backed himself away. He looked off at something off in the distance to distract himself. “I didn’t expect saying it like that, or here, but yeah.” Yuta let out a small laugh of insecurity and rubbed the back of his neck. Yuta was _nervous_ . Taeil’s never seen Yuta _nervous_ , at least not in an embarrassed way. Taeil couldn’t relish in the fact that for the first time in his life, someone had confessed to him. This was wrong. The person was wrong. How could he so easily fall into this track. Yuta wasn’t supposed to be confessing _to him_.

What was Taeil supposed to do? Say yes? Say no? What would happen if he said no? Would Yuta be heartbroken and stray further from the idea of love and never connect with Doyoung? Why did his dream have to be so cruel, giving him what he wanted when he was young and not what he needed then. Yuta was a responsible adult, but this whole situation in general was a blockage in the road way to happiness with Doyoung. How the hell was he supposed to get out of this? How did he not find the hints of this from his own characters? “I didn’t realize it was this much of a shock. At least I shot my shot first.”

“What?” Taeil asked, coming back into reality.

Yuta was quiet for a few moments and sighed. “I know it’s not my place, but I’m pretty sure Doyoung likes you too. We were both pretty obvious, and I’m sure some random guy would probably try to pick you up too.” Taeil’s eyes widened further. This had to be worse. “I never realized how oblivious you were…” Yuta gave a half hearted chuckle before putting on a rather dejected expression. “Do… You like Doyoung?”

“No… I don’t really have any feelings for anyone.” Taeil replied quickly to relieve him from the guilt coming from Yuta’s expression. 

Yuta’s eyes widened. “Oh, I’m so sorry, do you mean at all or just at this moment?”

Taeil blinked before understanding. “I like men… Yuta.” He stated, feeling weird saying the name so directly, and then wondered how to continue. He didn’t want to give any hope or anything to Yuta, but he didn’t want to crush him. Yuta was supposed to be with Doyoung. “I just don’t like anyone right now.”

Taeil could tell what Yuta was wondering. _No, please, get over me before it’s even started._ Taeil was too late, and too guilty to crush him. He couldn’t reject him fully. He needed the balance, but it seemed his balance was never going to be stable. He could sense the next chapter before it even happened. Within only a maximum of three hours in this universe he knew, they would fight for him.

*

Yuta and Taeil proceeded through the museum easily albeit the events earlier had thrown Taeil off. Yuta seemed to be unchanged after the altercation. What was he to do with them? Taeil had no idea to redirect the route from here. He could only think of taking himself out of the dream, but he would still be at stage one, and how did he even take himself out? He truly didn’t want to think of what he would have to do to get out. Thinking of it made his stomach turn and his breath be lost. He would never do that. Ever.

Taeil and Yuta got lunch on their way back to their apartment, and Taeil had to hold in his hesitance as Yuta repeatedly did gentlemanly actions for him. He didn’t know if this was normal for character Taeil, or if Taeil not entirely shutting down Yuta caused this. If Yuta always behaved like this, how did character Taeil never notice the sweetness? Taeil decided the book version of himself was truly an oblivious idiot.

When they returned home, Taeil made small notes of what could make Yuta smile and how he was like when in pain. Yuta had emotions, and maybe one day Doyoung could hurt him with a joke and realize there was more there. The development Taeil experienced in person, Doyoung could experience through multiple pages of Taeil’s novel.

Doyoung made dinner for all three of them. Taeil decided to help as maybe he could be reminded of where Doyoung was in his life. He could find out what he disliked about Yuta and what he liked about Yuta more directly through easy conversation. Then he could alter those changes in Yuta slowly, and they could both become closer.

Doyoung seemed relieved nothing in Taeil had changed when he got home.

It seemed Taeil was once again an idiot. He knew he wasn’t good at cooking, but couldn’t his dream version at least not make him get burned by a pan. The burn was intense in the sense that it didn’t seem like a dream and actually pained him. There was a red mark grazing his arm and Taeil had the weird curiosity if it would still be there when he woke up, but he also knew it wouldn’t and he would have to find a way to wake up to even check. Maybe he should pinch himself to see if he was dreaming. Unfortunately, his arm burned so much that he couldn’t move it to pinch himself. 

Doyoung immediately dropped whatever cooking materials he was using and tended to Taeil. “Damn it, idiot.” Taeil agreed with the idiot part, but his burning arm also itched to type out the dialogue so Doyoung could use it at Yuta whenever Yuta hurt himself and Doyoung would have to help him, but it was already established that Yuta was an even worse cooker than Taeil and it would have to be a different scenario. Maybe Yuta walked in the rain after playing soccer with his friends outside and would be scolded for not bringing an umbrella and walking in soaking wet, but Taeil wasn’t sure how to make Yuta accept the help. Maybe Doyoung for once slipped up in the kitchen and got a bad cut on his finger, but not bad enough for a hospital yet enough that he couldn’t deal with it alone and Yuta had to help fix it.

“I’m okay,” Taeil insisted quietly, but of course Doyoung didn’t listen and believe him. Doyoung’s hand held onto Taeil’s arm, guiding him to the sink. It was a harsh grip that made Taeil groan. The author suddenly widened his eyes and ripped his arm from Doyoung’s grasp, stauntering off a bit to continue with his part of the cooking. Maybe if he acted like Yuta he would find the answer to why they had their troubles.

“Taeil,” Doyoung called, softening. Taeil was sure Doyoung had never called for Yuta a second time, but here he was calling for him a second time. What was so different that Doyoung tried more for him? He wasn’t special and he wasn’t supposed to be.

Even so, Taeil looked over at Doyoung with a pouty expression. Doyoung urged him to come back over to the sink and get treated by him. After a few moments, Taeil walked back over to Doyoung. Maybe the stubbornness was different. Yuta had to learn it was okay to be weak. That was it. Collectively they had to teach him. Taeil had to be honest about pain and set an example for the both of them.

“What happened to your arm?” Yuta asked him as they all sat down to eat dinner. Taeil felt strange to sit down at their table. Doyoung and Yuta rarely had guests, so it was usually just them, and Yuta rarely sat with Doyoung as they ate. What changed?

Doyoung gave Yuta an expression of disbelief. “I got burnt.” Taeil had simply continued. 

Yuta’s eyes widened. “Are you alright?” 

Taeil had to be honest and show them what vulnerability was, but the burning sensation had also gone away with Doyoung’s treatment. He wasn’t a liar, and he would never want Doyoung to worry. “I’m fine now.” He responded. 

It’s strange to be with them in the same room. Taeil was the variable. Suddenly, they all paid attention to the conversation. Ones that usually were always directed towards him. Although they were already roommates, Taeil just wanted to trap Doyoung and Yuta in a room until they confronted and made up from whatever cocky feud they had over nothing that started forever ago. One way or another there would be a breaththrough as they were both human and guilt can creep over any enemy and maybe some more would happen.

There was already tension, but also some sense of ease. When Taeil was around they never fought directly, or at least they never yelled. They just gave each other spiteful glances and snarky comments. If Taeil had to be bomb control, he would be.

*

The next few days passed faster than Taeil expected them to. Yuta and Doyoung both went to work during the day time, and the weekdays ended rather quickly. Since Taeil’s library job was on hold and he didn’t want to interact with anyone else from the dream world all he could do was begin to write in his notebook.

This trip to dreamland was giving him small inspirations, but on the other hand, the days were long and tense.

He didn’t know how his dreams suddenly moved so slow. 

*

The next entirely noticeable event was on Thursday. The day where Doyoung usually went to the grocery store and Yuta went out to play soccer. Thankfully, it had already been established that Taeil was not an athletic individual. Although he didn’t intend to stay in this faux reality for long, he decided he had to put the roommates together to get out. That had been the point of his stress, and his dreams must have wanted him to force a release of tension. He also wanted to snack on his favorite chips as he waited for Doyoung and Yuta to get together, so he tagged along with Doyoung to the grocery store.

The grocery store was the same store that was by Taeil’s real home, so he was able to pick out his foods easily. Doyoung was himself, and Taeil was relieved that his character wasn’t surprising him with anything. Doyoung was a stable person and acted carefully with everything, but Taeil knew he had to force Doyoung to lose all his impulse control and jump into the idea of Nakamoto Yuta as there was no way in hell Yuta would so easily admit feelings for his estranged roommate. Taeil figured he had to be more direct than he ever would be in reality. “Do you like Yuta?” He asked Doyoung as he picked out a bag of bread from the shelf. 

“Yuta’s alright, bearable.” Doyoung simply stated.

“He’s attractive isn’t he?” Taeil suggested, humming.

Doyoung kept his focus on the groceries, but was too polite to ignore Taeil. “I suppose so. If he wasn’t such an ass.”

“A lot of messed up shit has happened to him. He has a really hard time talking about his feelings.” Taeil stated. Flashes of Yuta’s past filtered through Taeil’s mind and he frowned.

“Well, he should learn how to overcome that then. It’s his problem, and having a bad past doesn’t give anyone the right to be an asshole.”

“He teases you for fun. I think he admires you. I think he likes you.”

Doyoung rolled his eyes. “I heavily doubt that.”

“But you care for him.”

Doyoung scoffed. “How do you find that?”

“You make breakfast, dinner, complain about him trudging mud in…”

“I can’t have him dying, I need someone else paying the rent with us. I also don’t appreciate a dirty apartment. I make dinner because I like to, and I don’t need him exploding the apartment. Plus, you’re here too.”

“You still would cry if he died.” Taeil stated boldly. Doyoung finally turned to him sharply.

“What?” He began in disbelief. “Of course, I would, I’m not heartless. No one deserves to die, and like I said, I need someone to help pay the rent.” 

“You would rather be with him than without.”

“That is true, _for rent_ , but I don’t love him.”

“But you like him.” Taeil pressed.

“He’s annoying, why would I like him.” Doyoung asked more like a statement.

“Maybe you should give him a chance, separately, alone. Don’t see him as your roommate. At least try being friendly. You already said he’s attractive, why not try it out? You never know what can happen.”

“You just mentioned how he has trouble with his feelings. I’m not dating someone emotionally unavailable. Can you imagine what would happen if we got into a fight?”

“You’re considering it, are you not? If you even imagined it, you should try it. You’ve fought before.”

Doyoung sighed and shook his head. “What’s this all about anyway?”

“Yuta likes you.” Taeil slipped out easily. Doyoung immediately turned back to him with wide eyes.

“What?”

“I can tell.” Taeil tried to cover his tracks. Doyoung looked off for a moment and pondered. 

“I don’t see it.” He said after a moment. 

“He’s subtle and you’re oblivious.” Taeil knew Kim Doyoung wasn’t oblivious in the slightest, but Taeil could convince Doyoung he was. He knew how to crack him.

“I’ll think about it.” Doyoung concluded. Taeil smiled and they bought the groceries, heading back home.

*

It was already late when Yuta came home from soccer. Doyoung was in his room, playing on his phone. Taeil was sitting at the kitchen counter, writing in his notebook. He had been observing the decor of the apartment with great detail.

Yuta was in his grey sleeveless shirt and Taeil wondered why he would wear such exposing clothing while fall was overtaking the weather, but it seemed Yuta was warm enough with sweat spilling out from him. The hair on the back of his neck was wet and although he smelled horrible, it was interesting how it still smelled musky and woody, a Yuta scent. It was all so real. This imagination was in front of him, and was human. Living, breathing, sweating. Yuta’s eyes were tired and his body was pulsing as he took deep breaths. Taeil followed the lines of his prominent veins and almost had the thought of writing them down in detail, but that would be a little too descriptive. Did he run home or something? Why was he still out of breath?

Yuta caught him looking, and Taeil gave him a soft smile. Taeil only realized the implications moments later, quickly pulling his gaze away. Nakamoto Yuta could not think Taeil was falling in love with him. Yuta had to fall in love with Doyoung. 

Yuta placed down his bag and made his way over to Taeil on the counter. Taeil watched his steps slowly as Yuta strolled up to him confidently. “I see you’re writing again. What’s this one about?” He asked, peering down at the pages slowly.

Taeil blinked and quickly closed the book. Was he an established author in this world? No way, why would he have roommates? “Were you working on the one about Taeyong? Or did you choose to switch to something new?” 

Taeil simply nodded and let Yuta lead the conversation as Taeil had no idea why he would have written about his childhood best friend, unless in this world he was only a character too. “I really thought him and Johnny would hit it off, but maybe that wasn’t the direction you were going for?” Yuta continued. Johnny, right, that one foreign exchange student from America that was in Taeil’s elementary class and talked about Harry Potter with him all the time. Everyone he knew in reality was made up and everyone he had made was real, but why was he here?

“I think you should take a shower.” Taeil suggested, overcome with the new information. Luckily or unluckily, Taeil wasn’t sure, Yuta let the conversation go, but at the same time he also had on a very mischievous and victorious smirk as he went into the bathroom which Taeil didn’t want to deal with. Taeil sighed in relief once he was gone. His notebook was only filled of Doyoung and Yuta. 

Taeil hoped Doyoung was thinking hard on their conversation earlier, and that Yuta softened up his tough guy attitude. Taeil wanted to go home, although no one was waiting for him. He needed to get out. Taeil knew there was nothing on the other side for him. The real side. The only friends he had were imaginary and in this place, but none of this was real. Whatever Taeil lived this life up until now was not the real Taeil. At least on the other side he could trust himself. There he could pursue his aspirations and make his dreams actually become real. Here his dreams already lived. He had a place in the universe and it wasn’t here.

Taeil decided to test his laptop theory and quickly went to his room, picking it up and returning to the kitchen. His laptop was still left off on the place where he had stopped before he went to sleep in the real world. Doyoung and Yuta were arguing then. Taeil skipped down a few lines and typed in a simple sentence: _A cup of water appears on the kitchen counter._ And it did. In a blink of his eyes, there stood a cup of water on the kitchen counter. 

Was this how he would leave? Did he just have to write bring Taeil back and he would be back? Should he try right now?

Taeil deepened his breaths to relax. Should he say goodbye? Would this even work? But Taeil wasn’t apart of this universe. Could he control himself?

Taeil slowly typed out his disappearance. _Taeil goes back home._ Taeil blinked hard, and it was still him. He was still in Doyoung and Yuta’s apartment, well, Doyoung, Yuta, and Taeil’s apartment. Taeil tried again. _Taeil goes to the real world._ Nothing. The words of himself simply disappeared from the virtual document as if he’d never written them. 

He bit his tongue and tears itched at his eyes. He needed to go back. 

It took a moment for Taeil to calm himself before he realized. He needed to finish it. 

Although Taeil had spent so long on Doyoung and Yuta’s story, he had to write it as fast as he could to get out. He had to find a rightful way to end it. _Yuta and Doyoung walk into the kitchen_. There was no movement, only silence. Taeil tried again.

_Yuta and Doyoung walk into the kitchen as they hear a loud noise._

Yuta and Doyoung walked into the kitchen moments later as a random pan from the kitchen counter fell to the ground. Doyoung was in his pajamas and Yuta had a white towel wrapped around his waist and neck, looking at Taeil, concerned. After another moment, they moved on their own. Doyoung picked up the pan and went over to Taeil. ”You okay?” Taeil nodded slowly, pulling down his laptop screen slightly.

“What happened?” Yuta asked.

Doyoung turned to Yuta, for a second he observed him, and scoffed. “Go put on some clothes, idiot. He’s okay.” Taeil hoped his suggestions earlier were working. Yuta groaned, but went into his room to change into proper clothing. It seemed Yuta and Doyoung were controlled by Taeil, but also had their own decisions and moments. Taeil could only control them if it made sense. They could resist him without knowing. Doyoung turned back to Taeil, awaiting an answer. “I just accidentally hit it on my way to sit down.” Taeil stated with a nervous smile.

He had to finish it. 

*

Taeil wrote as much as he could. Slowly it began to happen. They became closer and although there was a moment's hesitation, they didn’t fight as often. They began to open up just a bit more than usual at a very quick pace. 

The author distanced himself from them. The variable couldn’t risk ruining it all. Taeil was laid out on his bed, writing after having just ate dinner. This dinner was a little tense due to various misunderstandings. Doyoung had forgotten to get Yuta some of his snacks from the store and for some stupid reasons Taeil felt them drifting again. Taeil did his best to form this into tension from worries about each other. Something like Doyoung intentionally stopped getting Yuta’s snacks so he would eat healthier food.

“Can you back off?” Yuta shouted to Doyoung in the kitchen.

“What am I doing, Yuta?” Doyoung openly questioned.

“Stop staring at him like a puppy dog, will you? And stop trying to be nice to me only to be an inconsiderate ass the next second. Are you trying to put up a facade for him?”

“What?”

“You heard me. Now don’t be stupid.” Yuta spoke harshly.

“What do you think this is?” Doyoung’s voice rose from his soft tone.

“You can’t trick me.” There was a significant pause. Taeil imagined the scene with words. _He narrowed his eyes—_ “You just want to ruin my life and I can’t understand why.” Taeil couldn’t write faster than the scene unfolding occured. He couldn’t catch up. He couldn’t stop them either, at least not with his own words. He didn’t know how it would end. Would this be worse or better for them in the end. 

He found himself listening, almost entranced. This was who Doyoung and Yuta truly were. In some part of Taeil, he was scared. What if he couldn’t fix this, what if he couldn’t go home, and hearing their yelling with his own physical ears really impacted him. Did he create them wrong? Did they hate each other? Was this all for nothing?

Taeil took in a sharp breath as they continued. “I don’t want to ruin your life— Where is this even coming from?” Doyoung asked.

“You _hate_ me.” Yuta sharply stated, his voice weak. Taeil nearly began crying. It almost felt like their words were at him. This was his demise.

“I do not _hate_ you, Yuta.” Doyoung continued. “I thought we were getting better.”

“The only reason you are trying to be nice is so Taeil doesn’t have to be all sad about our bullshit and distant. You don’t give a _fuck_ about me.”

“It’s not like that Yuta, truly.”

“Don’t even try to lie to me, Dongyoung.” Yuta ordered.

“I’m telling you the truth, Yuta. I feel guilty.” Yuta shook his head. “We started off on the wrong foot and I didn’t do shit to make it better. I’m sorry.” Doyoung tried.

Maybe this was it. Maybe this was an unhappy ending. Maybe this was where they finally came together, but would the story end?

Taeil wrote it all down, because it happened, and he felt one step closer to going home.

*

“ _What the hell is this?”_ Yuta shouted in outburst from the far side of the apartment. Taeil knew it was him being called although he never wrote this out. Yuta was smart and Yuta had his own control of himself. He wasn’t entirely Taeil’s puppet.

Taeil should have known better. Yuta would wander and would not hesitate to say anything. He should have known that this dream was not exactly the same as the story. The guest room was not always abandoned anymore as he was in it. Why Yuta was in the room he didn’t question. It must have been a mindless detail his dream skipped over.

The author’s heavy footsteps creaked and pounded across the floor, just as he had written so long ago when Doyoung and Yuta had fought about the laundry for the first time ever when Taeil was still in the real world. He felt all the prickly details Yuta had felt when he stormed off from Doyoung during the incident. Then he felt all the harsh details of Doyoung’s light and burdened feet tapping when he went to his room a few minutes after Yuta did then in anger. He was overwhelmed, but he persisted. He was trapped in his own stories’ details, but this was also new. Taeil could feel his body buzz in worry and anxiousness although nothing would happen to him truly. This was a dream.

It felt like he was writing, except the pain in his hands was replaced with the feeling in his feet and the air. The utter burden and guilt and fury. There was no other answer he could find to calm him.

He opened the door with squinting eyes, ready to flinch. He wondered why he was so scared. This was a dream and this was Yuta. Yuta was rough, but he wasn’t violent. He was an innocent man.

Maybe his dream would trick him. Maybe Yuta would trick him. Maybe Taeil couldn’t control them anymore. Maybe Yuta would stab him in the stomach and he’d scream. Maybe then Doyoung would run in from the grocery store early and slit Yuta’s throat in revenge and then lie in agony and bloodlust with wild eyes as both Yuta and Taeil would bleed out in death. Only then would Taeil would wake up from this dream. Maybe he had to die for it to end. But he’d already thought about that, and he wouldn’t accept that. His dreams just needed closure. Then he would wake up. He had to.

Yuta’s eyes had fury and also a sense of disappointment. His blonde hair lingered in front of his face. Taeil guessed when he woke up he would write about Doyoung telling Yuta to get a haircut. Yuta would probably say ‘ _Why the hell does that matter to you? I like it like this’_ . Maybe Yuta would have lied, but then again he never lies, and then Doyoung would, a few weeks later, drag him to the hairdresser when Yuta ran into the kitchen island because of his hair blocking his sight. And Doyoung persists that ‘ _I cannot have you cracking my counter'_ when he’s only concerned with Yuta’s safety. But Yuta wouldn’t question the haircut, he would be relieved to see, but he wouldn’t tell Doyoung that until much later. 

“Taeil.” Yuta called. It was strange to hear an imaginary voice say his name still. Taeil perked up. “What the hell is this?” He repeated in a darker, serious tone.

Taeil found his throat grow dry. He almost let himself begin to stutter. He wondered if he should tell the truth, or if that would break the scene and this imaginary dream would end. Taeil knew it wouldn’t end though. He was stuck until it properly ended. “It’s my notebook.” 

Yuta sighed with a deep breath, he almost growled in a sense. Taeil didn’t bother writing the descriptive words in his mind as the real imagery was enough. “Why is it filled like this? Why’re you-”

Taeil wondered if Yuta knew the difference between dream Taeil and real Taeil, the Taeil that lived unknowingly in dreamland before he came here. “What do you mean?” He feigned innocence, avoiding the confrontation.

Sadly, words weren’t taken at face value with Yuta. Taeil knew that. “Taeil, don’t play like this. I just want to hear why.” He sat down on the bed and ushered Taeil to sit. Yuta threw down the open notebook. Such the snoop, Nakamoto Yuta, maybe he’d find something of Doyoung’s, discover something, then sympathize with him. Maybe that was how it would happen. Maybe they could fall in love that way.

Taeil sat. “What of it?”

“So you admit?”

Taeil’s tongue pressed against his teeth. “What would you like me to do?” He knew he was being a bother, but his tone was soft, Yuta had no real rebuttal to innocence. Taeil knew.

Yuta sighed again. “Tell me why you wrote this. Tell me why you have been… commenting on these occurrences. Did you just lose inspiration? Were you trying to _play_ with us?” Thankfully Yuta didn’t look at his laptop. Luckily he didn’t realize the documentation of every moment ever since the two had moved in with each other. Luckily he didn’t write anything and change it all.

Taeil wondered if the dream even mattered at this point. It was a dream. He could indulge himself, play with the characters, but he couldn’t imagine facing the guilt as he would return to the electronic pages when he woke up from this dream. He’d seen them, and no one else would be able to see the real them through mere descriptions.

The author didn’t know who to prioritize, the book or his characters. If he told the truth, would they not listen and he’d be stuck forever, or would they follow the story passively. Taeil couldn’t tell as he wouldn’t be controlling them. “We should talk about this when Doyoung is here. You both need to hear this.” Taeil sighed, grabbing his notebook from Yuta’s hands and laptop from his desk. He would confess. He would tell them _his_ story, and maybe he could get out.

*

“I know everything about you two.” Taeil began, taking deep breaths. Thankfully, neither Doyoung nor Yuta let this be a joke. They knew he was serious.

“I made you two. And I know neither of you believe in God, but I believe we are of different universes, either that or this is all a dream. But some power has led me to you two and I have a different world of mine. I need to get back, and I need you two to help me.”

“I am an author, as you both know, I wrote you two. You will see all of it in this laptop document. Everything here, I made happen. I wrote it, and it seems you two followed it. Anything I write happens here. I need to finish this to go back home.” Taeil’s voice nearly cracked as he finished.

“Can you write yourself back?” Doyoung inquired. Taeil shook his head.

“I’ve been here with you both for almost a month. I need to go back. But I can only finish this if you go along with everything I write. I need you two to do anything your impulse tells you two. I’m hoping it only takes a few weeks at most. I’m so sorry about this, but I need to get back home… I need you two to fall in love.”

Taeil finally said it all and waited. “You made us?” Doyoung began slowly. Taeil nodded.

“I know everything. I have to return. I have family. I have another world and life waiting for me. I need you two to do this for me. You are my creations. I know you have your own selves; however, I have to end this. I have to finish this book. I have to have you two fall in love.”

Yuta furrowed his brows. “Is this a joke?” His dreams really did hate him.

“No. It’s not.” Taeil insisted, rushing to open the laptop. “I can write it and it will appear. Watch.” The author quickly wrote out the sentence of the glass of water on the kitchen counter, it appeared. “See, I’m serious.” Taeil was breathless. He needed them to believe him. 

“Why do you want to leave so badly?” Doyoung asked quietly.

“I don’t belong here. Don’t get me wrong, I love you both so much, but I can’t _be here_. And I need you two to fall in love and make up all your bad blood for it to end. I hope you can accept that.”

“How do we do it?” Doyoung asked with a focused tone.

“I don’t know to what extent, but you both need to be happy. You both need to accept each other. I can try writing it, but you two would need to be willing.” Taeil explained.

“We have to fall in love?” Yuta repeated.

“Yes…” Taeil stated.

Doyoung turned to Yuta with emotional eyes. “We have to do it, Yuta. If you care for Taeil, you have to do it. You have to learn to love me.”

Yuta slowly nodded. “Then you have to learn to love me too.” He gave a small, forced smile, but it was still there. Taeil looked off for a moment. _I have to get back_. “Can I read it?” Yuta suddenly asked.

Taeil blinked before nodding. “It is very long, but maybe you’ll be able to learn and understand everything in an objective point of view.”

Yuta nodded again, taking the laptop. “I think it’ll help.” He then turned to Doyoung. “So do we date now, or?” He asked softly.

Doyoung gave a soft, hesitant shrug. “We have to make up, I guess. Tell me if you have anything that has pained you before, we can apologize then.. We can become friends, and then love each other.” 

*

Taeil was asleep when Yuta finished reading the completed part of the book. Yuta was sure he’d already cried multiple times. He never realized how long him and Doyoung had been roommates, and the two had been against each other’s throats. He decided he had to take the first step.

Yuta went to Doyoung’s room with the laptop in hand. He knocked softly on the door, it was probably past midnight, but Yuta was sure Doyoung was still up. He knew from both experience and from the information the laptop had noted about him. 

Doyoung groggily opened the door and was surprised to find Yuta. “Yuta?” Yuta was happy the lights weren’t on, he would be blinded otherwise from being in the dark for so long. 

“Can I come in?” Yuta asked gently. Doyoung let him in and Yuta sat the laptop down on Doyoung’s nightstand. Doyoung’s room was neater than Yuta’s. Yuta could

not recall the last time he was in Doyoung’s room, maybe when they were just moving in. “I read it. I don’t know if you’ve thought about what has happened all this time, or if you want to read it, but I’m sorry.” Yuta was surprised at the ease that came with the words. He was telling the truth and he knew Doyoung would take him seriously.

Doyoung slowly nodded. “I’m sorry too. I’ve thought about it a lot, and we both were really hard on each other.” Doyoung sat down on his bed and glanced at the laptop. “Do you think I should read it?”

Yuta hummed, sitting beside Doyoung on the bed. “I mean it really helped me see things. You seem to be ahead of me on that.” Yuta gave a quiet laugh. He found himself looking at Doyoung more closely, seeing all the features that had described him perfectly. He could appreciate him now that they weren’t taunting each other. Doyoung was handsome, kind, helpful, and Yuta had been an ass. Yuta sighed and leaned onto Doyoung. “I’m sorry.” He repeated again. “I was really bad to you.”

Doyoung softly stroked Yuta’s hair. How did it all fall into place with just one, well two, apologies. “I forgive you.” Doyoung murmured. “I don’t think I need to read it.”

Yuta closed his eyes and sighed. Doyoung decided to test the waters. He lightly pecked the top of Yuta’s head, holding him in an embrace. “Are we boyfriends now?” Yuta asked with a bit of a laugh.

Doyoung laughed too. “Yeah, I guess.” He pulled Yuta closer. “Again, I’m sorry for being an ass too.”

Yuta nodded softly. “I forgive you.” The silence waved through them. “Can I sleep with you tonight?”

Doyoung slowly nodded after a moment and rolled them under the covers within the embrace. They both held each other close to protect each other from their evils and forgive each other for the evils they put upon each other. When they woke up the next morning, Taeil was normal. Taeil never mentioned _their_ book again and it seemed his laptop was devoid of any Doyoung and Yuta and only filled with the stories of Johnny and Taeyong, his characters. 

*

Taeil woke up the next morning with a groan, and sunk into his bed tiredly. Everything was loud. The birds were wild and sunlight blinded him. The author opened his eyes and was greeted with his ceiling. _His_ ceiling. Taeil immediately sat up, feeling around. He was home.

He caught sight of his laptop on his desk and found a few new paragraphs. He knew he didn’t write them. He never recalled even imagining the scene, but it was there. All he knew was it worked. He was home, and Doyoung and Yuta were happy. Taeil found himself empty as there was no nonsense or freshly cooked meals for him to indulge in, but he was nonetheless proud, proud of them. 

Taeil never knew how good it felt to disappear, to fade, and be back again. He never got to say goodbye to them, not formally, but he knew they knew and they knew he knew. It was only the morning after he had originally put down his laptop and went to bed in the real world. Through the span of a month in dream world, pretty much no time had passed in the true world. Maybe it truly was all a dream, but everything was still in his document and notebook from his time there. It was real. 

Though they were his imaginations, they were his people. They were _his_. He had seen them, wrote them, gave them justice. He was entirely complete.

The author worked mercilessly on rounding out their story. Taeil found an editor who cleaned up the very messy draft on the tales of Doyoung and Yuta, and within a few months, it was published. It was exhilarating. Once the library had been reconstructed, all he could think about while he had worked was Doyoung and Yuta, now his book sat on the New Releases table of his library. The first time he saw the book he nearly burst into tears. The cover was so beautiful. Everything was so special, and every word hit him in memories.

The plot had changed slightly to actually make a bit more sense, but the most important moments were still there. Even after being back, sometimes Taeil could sense them. Taeil wasn’t sure if it was just his own thoughts and imagery, or if it was actually happening on that side. Periodically he would dream of them without actually being there. He would be able to see them for a short time. They couldn’t see him as he was just floating, invisible. The other Taeil seemed quite rigid, but all together himself. The author couldn’t hold himself back when he watched Doyoung and Yuta getting married. 

He cried in his sleep in joy. He loved them both so much. 

Although the book wasn’t the most unique, it was his— theirs. Taeil didn’t exactly boom up in popularity, but from being unknown and nonexistent to having anyone read his book was enough. He listened to the critics advice, but he already knew the small details missing and how inconsistent it all was. He was happy anyway.

When he had book signing events people would sometimes have time to tell him their stories, their struggles, their problems with life or family or sexuality. Taeil knew his book wasn’t perfect, but the fact that people could connect made his heart bloom. His book was simple, but all at the same time it was complicated in the way that life was. It was humanity in its purest form.

He didn’t have to work at the library as much, but still took a long break from writing to meet readers and calm down from the excitement of his first book. Through it all, Taeil was still himself. He never was the most charming in conversation, never made a wide friend ground, and lived his own comfortable life.

Taeil never really wanted or needed love. He only grew just as Doyoung and Yuta did. He opened himself up slowly and made more connections, and didn’t force himself into solitude. That was the start to his happy ending.

Taeil never had the time to rightfully fall in love with Doyoung and Yuta, at least in the physical sense. But he knew he loved them. He knew the two knew he loved them. They knew the mere years he put into them, the stress and the heart he contained in them. Although Taeil knew he was alone, he knew he wasn’t at the same time.

He would never be alone.

The world had always been there for him. No matter how many worlds there were, _they_ were always right there with him

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading and going on this journey. I hope I made the prompter and everyone reading have a nice time! Please forgive me for any mistakes!


End file.
